Battery
by PlummyPlums
Summary: Aka "If Plum had written Teen Titans Go! Volume 40: Lightning in a Bottle". Even "limitless" powers have their limits.
1. Gone

The storm twins had been on patrol when trouble struck. A large group of men in strange clothing surrounded them, seeming to come out of nowhere, led by Professor Chang. They hadn't fought Chang before, only having heard of him from other titans, but they knew he was a crafty foe with all sorts of outlandish plans and contraptions. He had no doubt created the large weapons the enemies wielded. The twins assumed battle stances when the group began advancing on them, confident that they could handle the fight that was sure to come.

Lightning, as usual, was a bit too confident. He never stopped to think about what his foes might do before initiating in his usual snark. "Foolish lackeys! You do not stand a chance against Thunder and Lightning!"

Thunder, on the other hand, wanted to be cautious. He had always been the more patient and tactical of the two, so he often had better luck approaching fights. "Do not underestimate these assailants, brother!"

The leader cackled, stepping forward with a smarmy grin. "The fat blue one is perhaps as _wise_ as he is _wide_. Just come quietly and you will not get hurt!"

Lightning bristled, glaring at the man as his hands sparked in preparation for battle. How dare he insult Thunder? "As if one can stop the rain by yelling at the clouds!"

Chang snorted indignantly and stepped back behind some of the others. "Fine then, have it your way. Use the lightning rods, now!"

Raising their weapons, the underlings all fired upon Lightning at once. Bracing himself, Lightning seemed unharmed at first, but was quickly overcome and knocked to the ground by the strange energy. Trying to right himself despite the sudden, searing pain, Lightning realized his limbs weren't responding, nor were his powers. The most he could muster was a small spark. The younger elemental twitched and harshly rasped, "I-I cannot move...what is happening to me?" One of the lackeys who'd shot him walked into his range of vision, seeming to mock him with its unchanging expression. It swiftly stuck Lightning with the butt of its gun, knocking him out before it and another lackey picked him up and began dragging him away.

Thunder, hearing the commotion, turned from his set of foes and gasped in surprise before his expression changed to one of fury. "Release my brother or suffer the wrath of Thunder!" He clapped his hands, launching one of his signature shockwaves with a roaring boom.

The professor dropped to his knees, holding his hands over his ears in a futile attempt to block out the sound, yelling something Thunder didn't catch. He tried to chase down the ones who had stolen his brother, but suddenly found himself unable to move as a strange substance stuck to him, shot by one of the men. Trying to remove himself from it, Thunder realized that it had hardened and was holding the older twin in place. Struggling against it, Thunder couldn't get it to budge. "What manner of alchemy is this…?"

He could only watch as the enemies retreated, dragging his unconscious brother along. Straining against his bonds, Thunder began to panic. "No! Stop! Wh-where are you taking him?!" None of them even turned to look at him. He continued to call after them, using all of his strength to try to escape his prison. Just as they disappeared from his sight, Thunder felt as it began to fail, renewing his confidence. He could save Lightning, he just had to escape from the infernal mass that held him. However, with time, that confidence disappeared again, and he couldn't help but call for his twin. Eventually he'd screamed until his voice was raw, and even then he'd only managed to get about half-way out. Wracked with worry for his brother, Thunder couldn't control the tears beginning to roll down his face. His only family had been stolen from him, and he could do nothing from his current position. All he could do was continue to fight against the substance holding him, praying to Hsuan that his brother would be safe.

It took about an hour for Thunder to fully free himself, but it felt like years. The moment he escaped, he summoned a cloud and zipped off in the direction of the Titans Central tower. Having not been titans for long, the brothers hadn't met many of the other titans yet. Thus, Thunder went to the titans they'd met first to ask for help. He just hoped they weren't too busy to assist. He was thankful that they let him inside, and they were all together in the main room. "Please, you must help me! Professor Chang has captured my brother."

He proceeded to tell them the story, watching their concerned expressions become determined as he closed the tale. Beast Boy went to comfort him first. "Don't worry, Thunder, you came to the right place. We'll find Lightning!"

This eased his nerves, if only slightly. "Thank you, Green One."

After a moment of thought, Robin jumped in. "Chang usually plays arms dealer and sometimes inventor to the rich and villainous, so I'm not sure what he'd want with your brother...but what I do know is where to find him!"

Thus, they began planning their rescue mission.


	2. Mission

When Lightning awoke, his head was pounding and it felt as though his skull was full of cotton. His first instinct was to open his eyes, but he regretted that when the bright lights forced him to screw them shut again. He knew he was hurt and probably had a concussion, but he could worry about his injuries later; the first order of business was finding out where he was and what was happening. Forcing his eyes open, he winced at the bright, yet bland surroundings. He could tell that he was in a room full of machines, though he had no hope of determining their function, most with the masked figures from before operating them.

As his senses slowly returned, he realized that he had been restrained. The dull ache in his limbs originated from the metal devices that covered the entirety of his forearms and hands, securing them above his head, and his legs were also chained in place. On top of that, he was contained in some sort of clear tank, which seemed to be connected to the lines running across the ceiling. Attempting to free himself led to nothing but pain as something stabbed into his arms, and bursts of electricity did even less. The confined space was already unnerving, and the fact that he was restrained caused his breath to hitch. The proud titan wouldn't let his growing fear show, however.

He was interrupted from his observations by a bark of laughter. "Well well, it looks like our guest is finally awake!"

Lightning turned to the source of the voice as best as he could, trying not to aggravate the pain in his skull. He wasn't surprised to find Professor Chang approaching the tank, and he put on an air of control, mustering up as much rage as possible.

"What do you want with me?!"

The villain snorted, turning to one of the machines and pressing a few buttons. "I guess there's no harm in sharing a secret. Truthfully, brat, I'm having some financial struggles at the moment. I have plans, great plans, but they require a lot of money. So I thought to myself, 'why don't I just find a cheaper way to get what I need?' After all, resources are some of the most expensive parts of this operation. And really, what do I need more of than electricity?"

This only frustrated Lightning further. "You make no sense, madman!"

Chang scoffed, not threatened in the slightest. "You really understand nothing, do you, boy? Let me break it down for you. You _have _what I _need _. I am going to _take _what I need. And _you _are going to save me a _lot _of money." A wicked grin crossed the villain's face as he pulled a lever on the control panel.

For a moment, nothing seemed to have happened. That is, until a tingling ran through Lightning's arms, quickly spreading to his entire body. The mild discomfort quickly ramped into a stinging pain, making him hiss and struggle against his bonds. It was as though fire was running through his veins, invading him with an agonizing burn. He cried out, thrashing against the restraints with all of the energy he had, despite the fact that every movement brought agony.

He didn't even notice that he was sparking until it was too late to reign his powers back in. The usually comforting buzz of electricity was now only adding to his panic; Lightning hadn't had problems controlling his powers since he was young, why couldn't he stop it? Why did it feel as though his power was no longer his own? _Why did it hurt so badly _? Black spots formed in his vision and he could only scream for his brother as he felt his powers going completely out of control, generating stronger bolts than he'd ever made. He fell into unconsciousness as the machine began to absorb the energy he released. The last thing he heard was Chang's obnoxious laughter and the all-encompassing sound of his own, unfiltered electricity.

* * *

It didn't take long to properly plan for invading Chang's base. It was located in the arctic and likely packed with guards. Whatever the professor was planning, it required kidnapping a titan, so it was definitely important to him. They wanted to act fast before he could enact whatever plans he had brewing.

They take the T-Ship, though Thunder would much rather fly on a cloud. He was still unfamiliar with and uncomfortable around lots of technology, having lived in the sky most of his life, but Beast Boy convinced him to travel in his compartment instead of on his own. The discomfort from being in the ship compounded with his worry for his brother nearly made him nauseous.

Beast Boy was obviously concerned for the elemental, trying to crack jokes and make small talk to little success. Thunder simply gave him weak smiles and curt nods. He couldn't really manage the social interaction at the moment, but he didn't want to be rude. Finally uncomfortable with the one-sided conversation, Beast Boy decided to address the elephant in the room (well, pod), turning to the taller titan with a nervous smile.

"We're gonna get him back, Thunder, don't worry."

Thunder sighed, fidgeting and trying to reduce his anxiety. Refusing to meet the other's eyes, he did his best to not seem completely terrified when he responded. "I know, Green One, but I cannot help it. This is the longest we have been apart in a very long time, and I fear for his safety."

Beast Boy nodded, seemingly having expected that answer. "Gotcha. I'm sure he's just fine, dude. This is _Lightning _we're talking about, after all! You know better than anyone that he can handle himself, I think you should have a little more faith in him." His tone was relaxed and comforting, and he shot Thunder a sharp grin, which did lighten the elemental's mood a bit. The brothers considered the shorter titan their closest friend, and he always knew what to say to calm them, be it Thunder's anxiety or Lightning's temper.

"...yes, I am sure you are right. Thank you."

They didn't talk again for the rest of the flight, simply resting in a much more comfortable silence.

They arrived at the base within the next hour, shivering at the ice-cold air that hit when they exited the ship. The landscape was desolate, completely frozen over. The only sign of life in the area was the huge grey building nestled in the ice. They took the easiest and obviously most stealthy mode of entry; breaking in through the domed roof of the building. They could hear Chang laughing maniacally through the unmistakable crackle of electricity, and the room was full of guards. In the middle of it all was a containment unit, which shone with bright light. A silhouette could only barely be seen inside, but Thunder instantly recognized the sharp, lanky form of his beloved brother. Quickly dropping into battle positions, the titans only had a moment to breathe before Chang set his guards on them.

The lab was in chaos for a while. Blasts of energy filled the air, and enemies dropped like flies when faced with Robin and Beast Boy's hand-to-hand combat. While the others simply took down the lackeys, Thunder pushed through the mob, launching soundwaves to clear a path. He could tell Chang was starting to panic, as he began pressing buttons fervently, glancing between the control panel and the tube. The glow became a more chaotic flickering just as Thunder reached the professor, the buzz of power becoming even louder. Throwing the scientist aside, the elemental scanned the table in attempts to shut down the machine. While the buttons were labeled, he had no way to tell what the labels meant. Thankfully, Cyborg was soon at his side, most of the villain's backup having already been incapacitated, and simply pulled a lever that made the light slowly subside. Thunder's heart dropped when he saw the state of his brother.

Lightning was suspended by his arms, hanging limply as rivulets of blood dripped from the shackles holding him up. His already pale skin was nearly stark white, aside from some nasty bruising on the side of his face. Thunder punched through the glass of the container, not even caring about the stinging pain in his hand, and was about to rip off the restraints when Robin called for him to stop. He was confused and nearly snapped at the titan for delaying him when he realized that the devices were more complex than he thought. They were more than just handcuffs, being held shut by clasps and attached to the container via wires. On top of that, they were completely charged, to the point that even getting near them caused a painful jolt.

Approaching the problem more carefully, Thunder was thankful to be used to the occasional zap from his brother, as he wasn't too bothered by the shocks. He carefully removed the cuffs and caught Lightning when he fell, cringing at the unnatural warmth of his skin. His powers produced heat, sure, but it was as though he'd been burned. Underneath the main cuffs, the older twin found that thin tubes dug into his brother's arms where his bracers should've been. Thunder didn't understand the purpose of the small contraptions, but judging from the blood, they were hurting him and had to go. As gently as he could, Thunder pulled the offending apparatuses from his brother's flesh, panicking slightly at the sluggish, yet thick trails of blood that escaped the small wounds. Breaking the other shackles quickly, he gently scooped his brother into his arms and did his best to remain calm despite the fact that his younger twin looked like a corpse.

Suddenly, he heard Robin begin to yell behind him. He turned to see the leader holding Chang by his collar, getting right up in his face. "What did you do to Lightning? What were you planning?"

The villain coughed and spluttered, attempting to shrink away. At first, he seemed completely unwilling to talk, but a harsh glare from Robin reminded him that he was at the mercy of 6 very angry titans. "I-I just needed a cheaper source of electricity! Your friend there is an infinite battery, he could power this facility for as long as I needed! All we needed to do was extract that energy."

Thunder growled in rage, ready to tear the man apart. "Infinite? What makes you think his power is infinite, you fool?! No power is limitless, no matter what my brother may say. His abilities are directly connected to his energy, his body. You mean to tell us you have been _draining _him?!"

Chang clammed up at that, which only confirmed Thunder's suspicions. He would have destroyed the man then and there if not for the precious cargo he carried. Instead, he simply shifted his focus to Lightning and summoned a cloud, carefully climbing upon it. He treated his brother as though he were made of glass, cradling the younger elemental against his chest and gently placing a hand against his throat. He released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding when he felt a rapid, if weak, pulse. Robin tied up the villain and sent a message to the nearest titan stationed in the region to come get him while the other titans came to check on Lightning. Starfire looked as though she was about to cry, while Beast Boy and Cyborg were trying to keep it together. Raven was as stoic as ever, though her expression betrayed her concern. "My brother…he is hurt, but alive. We must return to the tower, quickly." The titans nodded, and the group rushed to the T-Ship, hoping to make the flight home as fast as physically possible.


End file.
